2 Days in Shizuoka, Japan | Lake Hamana, Oigawa Railway, Okuoikojo Station & Yume no Tsuribashi
Hi, everyone! I’ll give you a brief introduction to this trip. In this video, I visited Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan. Despite being easily accessible from the major city of Tokyo, it’s a place where rich natural landscapes remain. On the first day of this trip, I visited Lake Hamana. I enjoyed the beautiful scenery through lakeside cycling, riding the ropeway across the lake, and boarding a sightseeing boat. On the second day, I boarded the Oigawa Railway, which runs deep into the mountains, heading toward a hidden paradise of breathtaking views. I had wonderful experiences, like visiting a station on the lake and crossing a suspension bridge in a deep mountain gorge. The starting point for this trip is Hamamatsu Station. It can be accessed directly by Shinkansen from cities like Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. You can see an introduction to this trip and short videos on my Instagram page. The link is in the description. Please check it out! This marks the start of my two-day trip. Today, I’ll spend the entire day enjoying sightseeing around the picturesque Lake Hamana. First, I’ll take a local train to the station near the lake. After about a 10-minute ride, I got off at this station. I’ll start by walking to the lakeside park right near the station. I could see Lake Hamana and a structure shaped like a red torii gate. The structure is apparently a tower modeled after a torii gate, built as a tourist symbol, and is not an actual torii gate. Next, I’ll head to rent a bicycle. I plan to cycle along the lakeshore from this park to Kanzanji, where many tourist spots are concentrated. At Kanzanji, I intend to enjoy local cuisine and rides on the ropeway and sightseeing boat. I’ll rent a bike at this rental shop inside the park. I rented this city bike. They also rent road bikes, but since today’s route is relatively flat, this bike should be fine. Alright, let’s go! I was able to park the bike at this rental shop. Now, let’s start sightseeing at Kanzanji. First, I’m heading to eat Lake Hamana’s specialty: eel. I ordered the unadon (a bowl of eel and rice) set. This is kabayaki (grilled with sauce). This is shirayaki (plain grilled). I got to enjoy two flavors in one meal! Next, I’m going to ride the ropeway. The ropeway crosses over the inlet of Lake Hamana, so you can enjoy the lake views while riding. Heading to the boarding area. Boarded the ropeway. There seems to be an amusement park below the boarding area. At the ropeway’s destination, there appears to be a Music Box Museum and an observation deck. First, I’ll visit the observation deck. Next, I’ll visit the Music Box Museum. It’s not particularly large, but you can enjoy exhibits of music boxes from around the world and live demonstrations of automatic musical instruments. Now, I’ll board the ropeway to return the way I came. Next, I’ll try the sightseeing boat. I’ll board. The 30-minute tour has begun. It was a lovely cruise. Next, I’ll head to Kanzanji Temple, which gave the area its name. Looking back, I saw the majestic view of Lake Hamana. I decided to take a short break at a cafe. I ordered mikan (mandarin orange) juice and mikan soft serve ice cream. The area near Lake Hamana called Mikkabi is famous for mikan production. The mikan used in the juice and soft serve are apparently harvested there. Well, that concludes my sightseeing at Kanzanji. I’ll head back to where I left my bike. Now, I’ll cycle back to the park where I rented it. Arrived at the rental bike shop. After returning the bike, I’ll take the train back to Hamamatsu Station. It’s about a 10-minute ride on a local train. I’m going to have dinner. This is a famous restaurant for Hamamatsu’s specialty, gyoza. I visited around 5:30 p.m., a bit early for dinner, but there were already about 20 to 30 people in line. After waiting about 40 minutes, I finally got inside. Here are the gyoza I ordered. Hamamatsu gyoza are characterized by having more vegetables like cabbage in the filling. They were very delicious. Well, that’s all for today. I’m going to the hotel to check in and get a good night’s sleep. Today I’ll visit a hidden paradise deep in the mountains of Shizuoka. Just like yesterday, I’ll board a train from this station. My first destination, reached by trains and bus, is Senzu Station. It’s the starting point of the Oigawa Railway Ikawa Line, famous for its spectacular views and charming trains. I’ll board this train and begin my journey. After about a 40-minute ride, I disembarked at this station to transfer. Next, I’ll board this local train. Next, I’ll board the bus bound for Senzu Station. I’ve arrived at Senzu Station. Finally, I’ll board the train that runs through this beautiful mountainous region. This is the train I’m taking. And the first place I’m heading to by train is this. It’s a hidden gem station situated atop a peninsula jutting out into a lake. Let’s board. The interior looks like this. It’s simply built, with no heating or air conditioning. Alright, we’re departing! The river visible immediately after departure is the Oi River. The Oigawa Railway runs parallel to the Oi River for nearly its entire length, and the river also gave the railway its name. About 40 minutes from Senzu Station, we arrived at Abt Ichishiro Station. The section from this station to the next has an especially steep gradient. Therefore, instead of a standard railway, it uses an Abt system, designed for steep gradients. At this station, the locomotive is coupled to the train to handle the Abt system section. Now, let’s head back inside the car. Arrived at Nagashima Dam Station in about 10 minutes. Here, the locomotive connected at the previous station is detached. Arrived at Okuoikojo Station, the station on the lake. Spreading out below is Lake Sesso. The station is located on a peninsula jutting out into this lake. Let’s head to the observation deck that overlooks the station and the iron bridges. Arrived at the observation deck. After enjoying the magnificent view, I’m going to have lunch at a cafe near the station. I ordered a curry inspired by Okuoikojo Station. The curry sauce had a unique color like the lake, but it tasted delicious. The view of the lake from the seat was also splendid. Now, leaving Okuoikojo Station behind, I’ll head next to the suspension bridge known for its breathtaking views. I’ll transfer to a bus at this station. It seems there are only six buses a day. The ride to the final stop takes about 30 minutes. Got off at the bus terminal. From here, I still need to walk about 30 minutes. The suspension bridge I’m heading for is called Yume no Tsuribashi. Its name means “Dream Suspension Bridge.” It’s said to have been named this because it’s so fantastical, like something out of a dream. The suspension bridge seems to be below the stairs. Well, I’m finally going to cross the bridge myself. The bridge swayed more than I expected, but I managed to cross it. I’m heading back to the bus stop. Since the suspension bridge is one-way, I have to follow the path beyond the bridge. There are some steep stairs too, so even after crossing, I need to push through one last bit. It started raining. It was lucky it started after I crossed the suspension bridge. I’ve returned to the bus stop. The bus had already arrived. Alright, let’s head back. This time, I’m not going to Hamamatsu Station, which I used this morning, but to Shizuoka Station. Shizuoka Station is also a large station like Hamamatsu Station, with Shinkansen stopping there bound for Tokyo and Osaka. Got off at the bus’s final stop and transfer to another bus. From here, I’ll take two connecting trains to reach Shizuoka Station. Finally, I’ll head to a restaurant inside the station for dinner. I ordered a tuna rice bowl. They added salmon and whitebait as a complimentary side. Actually, Shizuoka Prefecture has the highest tuna catch volume among all Japanese prefectures. That’s why you can find so many delicious tuna dishes here. Well, having finished dinner, I think I’ll wrap up this trip now. Thank you for watching until the very end!
Instagram: Introduction to this trip & Short videos
https://www.instagram.com/sawa_journey_001/
Google My Maps: Places visited on this trip
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?mid=1FDvi1D-Gz75o-NBYF5DJXD3ogHcs8xc&usp=sharing
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0:00 Intro
0:22 Overview of this trip
1:38 Day 1 | Hamamatsu to Lake Hamana
2:52 Lake Hamana
12:14 Lake Hamana to Hamamatsu
12:34 Hamamatsu
13:29 Day 2 | Hamamatsu to Senzu Station (The Starting Station of the Oigawa Railway Ikawa Line)
15:52 Senzu Station (Riding the Oigawa Railway Ikawa Line)
19:53 Okuoikojo Station (The Station on the Lake)
21:59 Okuoikojo Station to Yume no Tsuribashi Suspension Bridge
24:39 Yume no Tsuribashi Suspension Bridge
26:57 Yume no Tsuribashi Suspension Bridge to Shizuoka Station
28:21 Shizuoka Station
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